Santa Run!

Today I've signed up to take part in a 10KM Santa Run on 8th December in London. I will be running this for Jo's Trust which makes me feel very proud indeed. I was delighted to get Judith, from the charities, email this morning and signed up straight-away. 

Fingers crossed some friends & family will also be joining me as it'd be great to run along-side them but even doing it on my own I'll be really satified knowing I'm raising more money and awareness for my chosen charity. 

If you'd like to run with me, please sign up here, places are limited so the sooner the better, then let me know when you're done & I'll sort out regular catch-ups leading up to the run. 

I was hoping by now to be on my first half marathon but with the knee problems, my progress has slowed down. All being well, I can now start to really pick it up and especially with runs like this in the pipeline it'll really spur me on. And it's only another month until the ballot places for the London Marathon are announced so let's hope that is good news for me. 

If you would like to sponsor me for any of the run's and challenges I'm doing over the coming year, please use the link on my blog to donate as much as you can. 

Insanity!

After what feels like months on a diet, I really let myself go over my birthday celebrations, although thankfully I only managed to put on 1lb and a little bit of body fat so overall I was quite pleased. 

With only 5 weeks to go until my friend, Grace's wedding I'm now back on the healthy eating, albeit giving the shakes a miss & just sticking to Special K & less carbs. The running is now in full swing too and with my weekly Tuesday runs with Alex to look forward too it's all keeping me active. 

I was also looking for something else to do to get my body looking toned and I'd heard a lot of people talk about 'Insanity'. It's a 60-day workout developed by Shaun T who says he will 

"...help you find out what happens when you get your mind out of the way and push your body to an intensity level you thought was reserved for elite athletes." 

I've since found out a few friends have tried some of his workouts and not necessarily done the whole 60-days. Well not one to do things by halves I checked it out this morning to see how this might work for me (my mum is also keen to try something new and it's always great to have a fitness buddy so I've also roped her in!). Shaun T acts as your personal trainers throughout the 60-days and according to their website - Beachbody - will push you past your limits with 10 workout discs packed with plyometric drills on top of nonstop intervals of strength, power, resistance, and ab and core training moves. There is no equipment or weights needed & you can do this in the comfort of your own home. Along with your 10 DVDs you also receive a 60 day wall calendar which shows you which workout to do each day, a quick start guide, a nutrition plan and you are able to go online for support along the way. 

The cost is a bit more than I'd normally pay for a fitness regime but it's certainly cheaper than the gym and if you're really keen you can do the workout over and over! 

I'm really excited to get started, although not sure I'll be saying that after a few days. The before shots will be taken tonight & hopefully I'll survive to let you know how I get on & who know's in 60 days time, I might have those long awaited abs! 

No more diet...

...well not for this week anyway. 

I'm sure I've mentioned it once or twice but it's my birthday this weekend. It was always my intention to diet until my birthday then stop. I know that I've lost a lot of the weight I set out too and overall I'm feeling happy with how I am now looking but should I go back to how I was eating 8 weeks ago? It just doesn't seem right for some reason & I certainly don't want to put the weight all back on. 

From this Friday I can eat whatever I feel like over the weekend, it is my 30th after all. Then I have a big night out with friends next Saturday so plenty of bad food & lots of alcohol then but then what? 

It feels wrong to go back to what I used to eat. I'm thinking that this diet has almost become second nature, more of a way of eating & less a diet. 
Now that I'm at the weight I set out, I'll probably not take it as seriously but whilst I'm enjoying the Slim Fast diet now, I think it'll continue.

The 2 litres of water is absolutely something I'd like to carry on, maybe not being as strict with myself over it but I already can tell my body is feeling healthier for it. 
My general feeling is that I'll see how I go, if I fancy cereal I'll have it, if not it'll be the shakes. If I want to treat myself to a nicer dinner, I can but won't go crazy. As my running is also increasing in distance and intensity I don't think the odd cake will kill me either. 

I actually don't fancy too much of what I used to have, a lot of this diet is about moderation. I have the Lindt Lindor chocolates, one or two of those a day won't make me obese so why not treat myself to them, just no need to eat a whole family bag of revels in one sitting (I actually could but I won't!)! 

 

I'd be interested to hear if any of you have also been on a diet and how you incorporated it into your life after the actual diet ended. Or do people just stay on one lifelong diet? That seems a little dull. 

I'm sure I'll be writing more about how I get on but for now I'm going to enjoy the weekend ahead and especially my trip to Prezzo with the girls from work on Friday! Pizza & Rose here we come!  

Perfect Photo!

Saw this image today and just had to share, perfect for where I am with my fitness journey at the moment! 

The Perfect Body

I've been on a diet for the past 5 weeks. Myself & my friend Gemma decided to do the Juice Plus Complete diet, this consists of 2 diet shakes per day to replace two meals, a 600 calorie meal & fruit or veg for snacks. Oh and the small matter of 2 litres of water per day! 

Both of us have naturally had our good & bad days but I think we're looking really good on it. I know we've both lost weight & with the exercise we're doing as well have really toned up. 

The water element, although sometimes a hard task to consume, has really made me feel good, its helped my digestion, my skin & I'm sure so much more. It's also aided my running, I have far less stitches which I was really suffering with previously so that's a massive bonus. Even after the diet has finished this is something I'll continue. 

So in the quest to get that longed for 'Perfect Body', my latest problem is I'm losing a lot of weight from my upper body and actually starting to look a little scrawny. I'm a runner so all of my exercise has been on my lower body - which is where I wanted to lose the weight & is coming along slowly - but it seems to be falling off the top. 

I really didn't need to make my chest any smaller but they've practically vanished! I know every girls worst nightmare! 

The only upper body exercises I do are press ups & sit ups & not even many of those. Gemma & I were talking yesterday & we wondered why this is the case? Does anyone else have a similar situation? How to I get some arm definition back without piling on the pounds? 

This really is baffling! 

For those people starting a diet like this I would absolutely suggest starting with a friend. Both Gemma & I had our individual goals in sight, she is heading off to Ibiza & I have my 30th birthday coming up. Looking back now there is no way I could have kept to it & achieved my goals without her support & reassurance throughout. It's been hard work but with only another 2 weeks to go for my, I'm feeling happier with my figure, confident & excited to wear some different clothes! 

Diet Disappointment

I’ve been on a Juice+ Complete diet for the past 4 weeks. This consists of a protein shake for breakfast with rice milk, fruit snack, another shake for lunch, raw veg snack in PM, less than 600 calorie meal containing no carbs & drinking 2/3 litres of water per day.
I’ve also been running except the last 10 days when I was unable to due to injury. I took some before photos & weighed myself using the boots BMI machine.
So today was the 4 week deadline.
I took my next phase photos & compared them to my initial ones, in my eyes no change although I can see a lose around the chest (I’ve barely got any so this is not an area I wanted to lose it!).
I thought I’d check out the weight situation anyway & see so off to Boots I went before work.
I’ve lost 7lbs & 10% of my body fat. This wasn’t as much as I would have liked especially because I’ve really been trying so much.
So I have another 3 weeks to go until my birthday & I’ll be continuing the Juice+ for two weeks then doing a final week of slim fast. I’d really like to have lost a stone in total so need to work really hard for the next 3 weeks.
Thankfully I’m back running so that will certainly help.
I’ve got a very small dress to wear as one of my birthday outfits so have to get toned to wear that for sure!

Watch this space & feel free to spur me on in anyway.